Israeli Rafael Trophy to protect German Leopard 2 main battle tanks

Rafael Advanced Defense Systems will test the Trophy APS (Active Protection System) on Germany’s Leopard 2 main battle tanks, The Jerusalem Post has reported. A spokesman for Rafael Advanced Defense Systems confirmed reports that the company will be testing the system on the Leopard 2 later this year, along with the tank’s manufacturer Krauss-Maffei Wegmann.

The details were disclosed at the International Armored Vehicles 2019 event which took place from 21 to 24 January in London. The initial trials on the Leopard 2 are expected to begin this year, with the system’s integration and testing completed by 2021. A total of 17 tanks will be equipped with the APS, with a unit training and qualifying to operate it by 2022. The beneficiary unit is expected to be combat ready by 2023 and join a Germany’s deployment to NATO’s Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (VJTF), the report added.

Germany’s Bundeswehr operates 328 Leopard 2 tanks of three types – the 2A6, 2A6M and 2A7. The Leopard 2 has also served in the militaries of 12 other countries and several non-European nations, including Canada, Indonesia and Turkey, and seen combat in Afghanistan and Syria, where they suffered heavy losses from anti-tank guided missiles.

The Trophy Active Protection System (APS), developed by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, is the only fully operational and combat-proven APS in the world. According to Rafael, the company has provided some 1,000 systems to all major IDF ground combat platforms.